U-Isaya 64
1 Kungathi ungadabula amazulu, wehlele phansi, izintaba zigeleze ebukhoneni bakho;
Would that thou hadst rent the heavens, hadst come down,
2 njengokutshisa komlilo oncibilikisayo, umlilo wenze amanzi abile, ukulazisa ibizo lakho ezitheni zakho, ukuze izizwe zithuthumele ebukhoneni bakho.
At thy presence, had mountains, quaked: As fire kindleth brushwood, [As] fire causeth, water, to boil, So if thou wouldst make known thy Name to thine adversaries, At thy presence, nations, would tremble.
3 Ekwenzeni kwakho izinto ezesabekayo esasingazilindelanga, wehlela phansi; izintaba zageleza ebukhoneni bakho.
When thou didst fearful things we could not expect, Thou camest down at thy presence, mountains, quaked.
4 Ngoba kusukela endulo kabezwanga, kabalalelanga ngendlebe, ilihlo kalibonanga, Nkulunkulu, ngaphandle kwakho, osebenzela lowo olindele kuye.
Although from age-past times It was never heard, It was not perceived by the ear, —Neither did, the eye, ever see—That, a god besides thee, could work for the man who waited for him,
5 Uhlangabeza othokozayo lowenza ukulunga, abakukhumbulayo ezindleleni zakho. Khangela, wena wathukuthela, ngoba sonile; kuzo kulokuqhubeka, njalo sizasindiswa.
Yet didst thou meet Him who was rejoicing and working righteousness, Even them who in thy ways, remembered thee, —Lo! thou, hast been vexed, And truly we had sinned, Among them, was the prospect of an age [to come], That we might be saved.
6 Kodwa sonke sinjengongcolileyo, lakho konke ukulunga kwethu kunjengezidwedwe ezingcolileyo; njalo sonke siyabuna njengehlamvu, leziphambeko zethu, njengomoya, zisiphephule.
But we have become as one unclean all of us, And, as a garment polluted, were all our righteous doings, —And so we faded like a leaf all of us, And, our iniquity, as a wind, carried us away;
7 Njalo kakho obiza ibizo lakho, ozivusela ukubambelela kuwe; ngoba ufihlile ubuso bakho kithi, wasicikiza ngenxa yeziphambeko zethu.
And there was none To call upon thy Name, To rouse himself to lay firm hold on thee, —For thou hadst hidden thy face from us, And hadst made us despond, by means of our iniquity.
8 Kodwa, khathesi, Nkosi, wena ungubaba wethu; thina silibumba, wena-ke ungumbumbi wethu; njalo sonke singumsebenzi wesandla sakho.
But, now, O Yahweh, our father, thou art, —We are the clay, and, thou, art our potter, Yea the work of thy hand, are we all:
9 Ungathukutheli wedlulise, Nkosi, ungakhumbuli ububi phakade. Khangela, ake ubone, sonke singabantu bakho.
Do not be indignant, O Yahweh so very greatly, Neither perpetually, do thou recall iniquity, —Lo! look around, we pray thee…thy people, are, we all.
10 Imizi yakho engcwele isiyinkangala, iZiyoni isiyinkangala, iJerusalema iyincithakalo.
Thy holy cities, have become a wilderness, —Zion, a wilderness, hath become, Jerusalem, a desolation!
11 Indlu yethu engcwele leyethu enhle, lapho obaba abakudumisela khona, itshisiwe ngomlilo; lazo zonke izinto zethu ezithandekayo sezilunxiwa.
Our holy and our beautiful house Where our fathers praised thee, Hath become a conflagration, —And, all our delightful places, are in ruins!
12 Uzazithinta yini ngenxa yalezizinto, Nkosi? Uzathula yini, usihluphe wedlulise?
In view of these things, wilt thou restrain thyself. O Yahweh? Wilt thou hold thy peace and humble us so very greatly?
